


Of Dogs, Ducks, and a Double Bed

by ponchothor



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Love Confessions, M/M, Magnus and Dogs!!!!!, Sharing a Bed, wooden ducks are tokens of love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-12-03 21:38:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11540925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ponchothor/pseuds/ponchothor
Summary: Post Eleventh Hour, while Merle is spending time with his kids, Taako and Magnus are sent on a trip for some forced time off. Goldcliff, they’re coming for ya.





	Of Dogs, Ducks, and a Double Bed

Taako isn’t sure how he ended up here, spread out on a double bed in Goldcliff’s nicest inn, trying in vain to meditate as Magnus snored obnoxiously on the floor below him. Well, he is sure, but also not? The Director had sent the trio on a “grounding missions” intending to “bring them back to reality” before their next real mission. Partly to make them understand what was at stake, he supposed, and partly to get them to decompress. Spend some time away. For Merle, that meant a week with his kids. For Magnus and Taako, that meant a week of forced tourism in Goldcliff. Staying in an inn that, just their luck, only had one room with one bed left. That’s when Taako’s stomach dropped the first time. 

Sure, he’d been a little nervous going into this- a week of 24/7 Magnus time, no Merle to make it less weird. It shouldn’t be weird. But it is, because Magnus is Magnus and he’s sunlight and brick foundation and a roaring hearth and everything Taako needs. Because Taako doesn’t want to ruin this and drive Magnus away. Because, while he had yet to admit it to himself, Taako was in love with the Ruff Boi snoring below him. So when he discovered the bed situation, internal Taako panicked. External Taako, trying to remain cool as ever, ran up the stairs, opened the door, and flopped onto the bed, yelling “You snooze you lose, bubale.”

So here he was, sprawled out on the only bed in the room, even though he doesn’t even sleep, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach as he looked down at Magnus, chest rising and falling steadily, snoring like a goddamn bugbear. Needless to say, he got maybe 15 minutes of quality meditation in at maximum that first night. 

The next morning, Taako was met with another problem. It’d been too long since their original shared dorm, so Taako didn’t remember to brace himself for the solid 2 hours Magnus spends walking around shirtless each morning. Just as this occurred to him, Taako felt a large hand clap down on his shoulder and looked up to be face to face with Magnus’s abs. 

“Did you sleep- er, meditate okay, Taako?”

It took Taako about 15 seconds to call himself back to reality enough to respond. “Wonderfully, my man.” This was a blatant lie. Magnus could tell by Taako’s tired expression, but didn’t say anything. 

“I was planning on wandering around downtown today, you wanna come?” Magnus said as he ruffled through his bag to find clothes. 

“Whatever floats your boat, Mango. I am taking the bathroom first though, looking this good takes work.”

“Go for it.” Magnus pulls a shirt over his head before adding “But you’d already be the best looking in the city, now the people of Goldcliff really won’t stand a chance.” 

Taako runs into the bathroom to hide just as his cheeks start burning. He resurfaces an hour later, looking slightly less tired with his hair plaited and brought around over his right shoulder. Magnus looks up from the little duck he’s carving, tries to hide how the breath catches in his throat, and stands up. The two head out. 

It’s less weird after that. It seems like a normal afternoon at the base, Merle off doing something with plants while Magnus and Taako run errands. This ease lasts all of five minutes, because that’s when he feels a gust of air that could only be Magnus sprinting away. A quick look up explains why: Magnus has spotted the Goldcliff Dog Park. Taako sighs, trailing behind Magnus, who is eagerly greeted by a wiggling Golden Retriever puppy. Taako stands there watching, heart almost uncomfortably warm, as Magnus kneels down to greet each dog individually. Twelve dogs flock to Magnus, who, almost as a formality, as the dogs have clearly decided for themselves, yells “Can I pet your dog?”. An influx of head nods from owners sitting on benches confirms it, and Taako hears Magnus coo “Hi Puppy!” as he pets each dog. Just as Taako sees Magnus begin to turn his way, grinning so wide it should be illegal, Taako feels himself falling. He hits the soft ground and looks up to see a Great Dane above him, tail wagging at maximum speed and togue dangerously close to Taako’s face. He hears someone, the owner most likely, call the dog over, intermixed with a sound that could only be Magnus laughing. Magnus walks over to help Taako up, and the pair are greeted by a woman.

“I’m sorry about that! George tends to be excitable and not realize how big he is!”

Taako freezes, realizing that Magnus hasn’t let go of his hand after helping him up. 

“Oh it’s fine! Taako can handle worse, and honestly it was hilarious,” Magnus replies.

The woman laughs and catches a glimpse of their interlocking hands. “I’ll let you two get back to your date then!”

Taako starts to stutter and the woman runs off towards George, and Magnus still hasn’t let go of his hand. 

“Thanks!” Magnus yells. 

They walk out of the park, neither saying anything, still hand in hand. Taako’s really in it now.

Magnus doesn’t drop Taako’s hand until they naturally part so someone can pass them. They walk for about an hour, making casual conversation as they look around the city. They finally stop at a small coffee shop, Taako sipping his fantasy latte while watching Magnus whittle away at the same small duck. It amazed him how hands so big could carve that little duck with so much precision, so much detail. But that was Magnus: big and brash and rough but also gentle and soft and capable of the most delicate things. That’s when it sank in for Taako. This wasn’t just a guy he liked. He was in love with Magnus Burnsides. He didn’t know it yet, but Magnus felt the same, and had realized it months ago.

They leave the shop, and afternoon turns to evening as they walk. There’s an unspoken rhythm to it, setting in as Taako’s nervous feelings turned to ease and comfort. For Magnus, it was always ease and comfort. It always had been. They go to dinner, intermixing their meal with easy conversation. Evening turns to night and they walk back to the inn. Taako flops down across the bed, beyond tired at this point. Magnus changes and begins to settle down on the floor after he emerges from the bathroom. That’s when Taako speaks. 

“Mango?”

“Yeah?”

“The floor is lumpy as shit. Get up here.”

Magnus gently moves up onto the bed as Taako shifts over from his spot in the center. The bed is small, and Magnus is stiff as he tries to stay in his own space. Taako, too tired to care at this point, lets himself sprawl out onto his side, arm gently resting against Magnus. Emboldened, Magnus rolls over as well, now face to face with the elf.

“Hi.” Magnus whispers.

“Hi.” Taako responds. Minutes pass as they stare at each other, each with a small smile. Magnus breaks the silence. 

“Can I try something?”

Taako nods, breath catching. Magnus brings his arm up, looping it around Taako and pullling him closer. Their noses are almost touching now.

“Can I kiss you?”

This time, Taako doesn’t respond, instead leaning in to press a soft kiss to Magnus’s lips. Magnus leans into it, kissing back. After a little bit, Magnus pulls back, still letting their foreheads touch.

“Taako?”

“Yeah Maggie?”

“I’ve wanted to do that for a long time.”

“Me too.”

Silence sets in again. This time, Taako breaks it. 

“Magnus?”

“Yeah?”

“I think I love you.”

“I know I love you.” Magnus says, leaning in to press his lips to Taako’s again. The kiss deepens, and after a while Taako pulls back, just long enough to whisper “I know I love you, too.” before returning to the kiss. They fall asleep that way, Taako, choosing to sleep for once, with his head buried in Magnus’ chest, Magnus with his arms wrapped around Taako, pulling him in. 

\----------

Taako wakes up to the shower running the next morning, the feeling of Magnus’s arms around him lingering. He faintly hears Magnus singing, probably thinking the rush of the water drowns him out. Taako looks at the empty bed next to him to see that same wooden duck, finished now, with a note that reads “I’m taking the bathroom first this morning. Looking this good takes work. I love you.”

He chuckles as he picks up the duck, warmth flooding through him.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Come yell with me at gaudreausbeforebros.tumblr.com !!!!!


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